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Maoist links: Bombay HC quashes Saibaba’s bail plea

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Confined to wheel-chair, Saibaba is currently lodged in Nagpur’s Central Prison.

Summary

Court said a prima facie case exists against the DU professor for involvement in Maoist activities

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The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has rejected the bail application of Delhi University professor G N Saibaba, under arrest since May for his alleged Maoist links.
Justice Sunil Shukre , while rejecting the argument of Saibaba that he couldn’t be branded a Maoist or even a sympathizer only on the basis of the resemblance of his social activism with Maoist ideology, said a prima facie case exists against him for involvement in Maoist activities and for his being a prominent and important Maoist leader, according to Government Pleader Bharti Dangre.
Saibaba also cited his physical disability as ground for bail. That too wasn’t held valid by the court, according to Dangre. His lawyer Surendra Gadling said, “we argued that mere resemblance of social activism to Maoist ideology isn’t ground enough to brand him a sympathiser or a Maoist. Also, we said the police don’t have sufficient material to substantiate their claim.”
On court’s rejection of the disability ground, Gadling said, “the court accepted the police argument that he was being provided adequate assistance, facilities and medicines.”
Saibaba was arrested by Gadchiroli police in May on the basis of the case they claim to have made out against him for involvement in Maoist activities.
Saibaba’s arrest followed interrogation of the two earlier arrested alleged Maoists Hem Mishra and Prashant Rahi, who, the police claim, led them to Saibaba.
The court granted bail to Prashant Rahi, who has been in jail since September 2013. Rahi, originally from Nashik, has been allegedly working for the urban front of the Maoists in Uttarakhand for past few years.
A lot of material, pen drives and hard disks were recovered from Saibaba’s house by the police that, they claim, contain clear
evidences of his involvement in Maoist activities as one of its prominent leaders co-ordinating urban and international activities of banned organisation CPI (Maoist).
Confined to wheel-chair, Saibaba is currently lodged in Nagpur’s Central Prison.